


Pursuit

by aredhel_of_gondolin



Category: Lord of the Rings - Fandom, The Lord of the Rings - All Media Types, The Lord of the Rings - J. R. R. Tolkien
Genre: Comedy, Lord of the Rings, Suspense, literally just a crack fic, these characters have a mind of their own
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-15
Updated: 2020-09-15
Packaged: 2021-03-06 17:00:31
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 913
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26472265
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/aredhel_of_gondolin/pseuds/aredhel_of_gondolin
Summary: Branches whipped by as Aragorn sprinted desperately through the forest.He was being pursued.
Relationships: Aragorn & Legolas
Comments: 8
Kudos: 17





	Pursuit

**Author's Note:**

> So yeah this is just an idea what popped into my head and wouldn’t leave until I wrote it! I hope you enjoy! Please review and tell me what you think, as this is my first LOTR fanfic.

Branches whipped by, opening small cuts in Aragorn’s face and arms as he passed through the woods, sprinting. He hazarded a glance behind him, desperately hoping to see nothing. 

But he was still being pursued.

Up ahead, Aragorn saw a fallen tree and gathered in his stride to jump. But in his haste to clear the log, his boot caught on an upright branch and he was sent sprawling. Reeling, he attempted to break his fall by frantically shooting out his arm. He skidded even further in the deep, loose leaf cover of the forest floor, unable to control his wild movements. Quickly though, he managed to pick himself back up and took off once more in the same direction. He just had to make it to the clearing. Just to the clearing and then he would be safe.

But something made him pause. The forest around him was too quiet, even accounting for his unchecked scramble through the woods. There seemed to be a stiff awareness in the air, as if the very trees themselves were suddenly invested in the fate of the young ranger before them. 

There! Movement in the trees ahead of him.

How completely motionless, Aragorn sank back into the shadow of a bush to his left. His earth-toned clothing completed the effect; the dark green tunic and brown woolen pants serving to help him meld with the colors of the forest. 

Not that the concealment would help him avoid his pursuer. It wouldn’t. There were other senses to track by than sight alone. 

Slowly, cautiously, Aragorn picked up a rock by his foot. After pausing to make sure he was alone once more, he took careful aim for a branch on the ground between him and the clearing.

The rock sailed swiftly through the air and struck true, and Aragorn tensed as the trap was sprung and a net descended. Clever, he thought. But also very bad for him. That path was the only sure way into the clearing ahead, due to the fact that it was surrounded by dense brambles and bushes. That’s what made the clearing so valuable to travelers--and to himself. Once Aragorn reached the spot, he was planning to turn around and deal with his pursuer once and for all. Not to mention that the smooth stone lying in the middle of the clearing itself was actually the answer to all his problems. But to get to the stone, he had to get to the clearing. And it seemed he had been outsmarted. Aragorn gritted his teeth in frustration as he racked his brain for ideas. 

There was no way he could walk through the path unscathed. Knowing his pursuer, Aragorn was certain there would be more traps and pitfalls littering the way. 

But he still had to get to that clearing. Everything depended on it. He couldn’t afford to fail. 

And so he waited. For twenty minutes he scanned the perimeter of the small clearing, searching for any movement to indicate that his pursuer was still in the immediate vicinity. Once he was absolutely certain he was alone, he slowly backed out of the shadow he was hiding in, instinctively avoiding any twigs or dried leaves underfoot which could give away his position.

What would Legolas do?  
Not for the first time he thought of his closest friend and the elf’s preferred tactics to avoid detection. Aragorn’s thoughts seemed to escape reason as he still failed to think of anything he could do to get into the clearing. 

The trees were out of the question due to his pursuer’s excellent ability to climb, which by far outstripped his own. He couldn’t go through the bramble thicket unless he wanted to get stuck and poked mercilessly. The path was still a possibility, but Aragorn considered it a last resort because of the obvious signs of his pursuer’s previous presence and cognizance to set traps. 

For all his planning, he hadn’t foreseen this situation.

Aragorn let out a sigh and rolled his eyes. He was certainly going to pay for getting himself in this situation. 

And in that brief moment of inattention, a figure took advantage of Aragorn’s distraction and crept closer. It was only after a few seconds that he whipped his head around to see clearly his pursuer. 

All thought fled from his mind as Aragon saw that his hand had been forced. The path ahead was the only possibility now and he took off sprinting. 

Because of his Ranger training, he was able to avoid a tripwire and another subtle branch on the ground, which would’ve triggered yet another net. But for all his attentiveness, he missed the thin rope stretched invisibly between two trees. Aragorn’s eyes widened and he let out a string of curses as he felt the brief but yielding pressure across the top of his boot. 

A net sprung up from the ground, being pulled upwards by a clever system of pulleys and more rope. A quick glance behind yielded the sight of his pursuer now stalking triumphantly towards him. 

In one last effort of desperation, Aragorn pulled a small knife free from his boot and began to saw at the ropes in the net. But they were of solid make and did not yield easily. 

Suddenly, a firm hand descended on his shoulder and Aragorn tensed in panic, startled at the sudden intrusion. But then he simply slumped in resignation. 

“Tag, you’re it,” said Legolas. 

“Damn.”


End file.
